January 2016

Dear Members and Friends of SKV,

It is our great pleasure to share with you the snapshot of the trends in China in 2016 followed by the latest news of China’s investment and exchange in and with Switzerland also, the expanding reforms in business tax and revolution of Chinese people using mobile to go online. If you are interested, you may click on READ FULL ARTICLE for the full version.

Last but not least, we wish you a good start into 2016 and into the Year of the Monkey that will start in China on February 8th. Enjoy your reading, Swiss SME China.

Wrap-Up

WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN IN CHINA IN 2016?

In debates about whether growth is a percentage point up or down, we too often lose sight of the absolute scale of China’s economy. No matter what rate the country grows at in 2016, its share of the global economy, and of many specific sectors, will be larger than ever.

CHINAS APPETIT AUF SCHWEIZER FIRMEN

Der chinesische Staatskonzern ChemChina übernimmt 12% am Genfer Rohstoffhändler Mercuria. Auch an Syngenta besteht weiterhin Interesse.

Source: NZZ News READ FULL ARTICLE

CHINA AND SWITZERLAND CONCLUDE BILATERAL TREATY ON SOCIAL INSURANCE

The governments of China and Switzerland recently signed the Sino-Swiss Social Security Agreement, pursuant to which an employee originating from either country may be exempted from contributing in the other country to certain types of statutory social insurance (e.g. pensions and unemployment). This will benefit employees working in cross-border environments.

Source: CMS READ FULL ARTICLE

CHINA SAYS TO EXPAND REFORMS, REPLACE BUSINESS TAX WITH VAT

China will expand tax reforms to replace a business tax with a value-added tax (VAT) this year, state radio quoted Premier Li Keqiang as saying, in the latest step to bolster slowing growth. Top leaders have already pledged to cut taxes and expand the government budget deficit this year to support economic growth, which slowed to its lowest level in 25 years in 2015.

Source: Reuters READ FULL ARTICLE

MOBILE REVOLUTION: OVER 90 PER CENT OF CHINA’S 620 MILLION INTERNET USERS USE SMARTPHONES, TABS TO GO ONLINE

The number of mobile internet users in China jumped to 620 million at the end of 2015 as over 90 per cent of people who surf the web in the country now do so on their smartphones and other mobile devices, according to a new report.

Source: South China Morning Post READ FULL ARTICLE